Monday, September 05, 2005

Atlanta Area Katrina Relief

So today I spent the afternoon at my church, receiving donations of supplies, and helping to deliver them to the local aid agencies. Baby supplies, new clothes, canned goods, non-perishables, toiletries, cases of water, on and on and on. The Cobb County DFACS and the Elizabeth Inn shelter run by MUST ministry got full up with stuff early on, so by the time I arrived, only the Salvation Army in Marietta was still accepting our deliveries.

And boy were they rockin'! Cars were jammed in the none-too-capacious parking lot, unloading things. The uniformed Sallies were holed up in offices, tapping away on computers and such. Most of the people there receiving deliveries were volunteers off the street. The SA had briefed them and let them go to it. There were a couple of harried "quartermaster" volunteers marshalling efforts, though everyone seemed to know what to do. One kid had come by to volunteer that morning and was sent away--too many volunteers. He came back in the afternoon and was taken on.

There was a place for everything and everything in its place. They had a sign out asking folks not to bring any old clothes--no one has time to sterilize it. We did accept old clothes at our church, but discreetly piled it in a corner, to be dealt with later. I'd love to do more, but work and family have to intervene for the rest of this week. But I'll post any other adventure I have, if I blunder into one.

1 comment:

  1. I donated five bags of "old clothes" but were rarely worn.... I hope someone got to use them....I live in the sticks on the prairie but a truck was taking down our goods. To help someone. Anyone.

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